[i]“You sound like you are in a hurry be get rid of me. With the way you’ve been acting the whole morning, I am worried that I didn’t meet your expectations last night. Tell me honestly, did I not?”[/i]

Claire’s eyes widened and her eyes darted toward the few in front of them. How could he say such a thing around them! Still she grinned, putting a hand to her cheek. “You went beyond my dreams, but perhaps I need another night to make any final judgments,” she answered in a whisper before they were approached by the doctor. She watched the two go back and forth with a guilty look on her face, starting to regret she kept him [i]busy[/i] last night. He should have just laid still and gone to sleep.

As it was, Claire couldn’t bring herself to regret it. She nodded with a worried look as the two left, standing there alone with her thoughts. Someone, one of the maids, asked her a question but she didn’t hear. She wanted to still live in the dream of love, in what they had while alone. It seemed by his words Nicholas had brought that dream back with them, keeping it alive and well. But what if he was just flirting, and had no intention of spending so much time together again?

No, she couldn’t think like that. It was her own lying that made her assume Nicholas must be doing the same thing in his life, which was very foolish of her. Wasn’t that exactly what they’d spoken of at the river, exactly what had hurt him? Claire shook her head, heading inside to make the final arrangements for that weekend and see who had sent notes back agreeing to come. There were some key people that [i]needed[/i] to attend.

******

Claire was visibly pouting as she walked down the carpet laid hallway carrying a silver tray with chicken soup and French bread. When she reached the master bedroom she knocked quietly before entering carefully, having difficulty with looking graceful while opening a door with full arms. Yet at the sight of her husband in bed yet again her features softened and she let out a soft sigh. 

“I waited a full five minutes in the dining room before someone [i]finally[/I] informed me you would not be able to join me. How difficult is it to just pass along that kind of information? Especially at lunch time, when I [i]know[/i] the staff is aware since they were going to bring this up for you. Well not this exactly, the doctor was going to give you that gruel again but I convinced the cook this would be better for you,” she told him, placing the tray on his bedside table before going to the other side of the bed to sit by him.

“Be honest. No lying to me. How are you? Are you going to have to stay in bed even longer this time?” Claire said sadly, reaching out to touch his cheek. “I feel guilty. I swear I'm not touching you again until the whole wound is healed not even a scar.” She paused, blushing again. "All right, that's not true...but I'm still being careful. You obviously don't know or follow your limits, so I have to be the responsible one here."